Raising guide dogs are very rewarding says local family
The association relies on the goodwill of volunteers to prepare young pups for their role as guide dogs.
For blind people, having a specially trained furry companion to support them in their complicated day to day lives is a great alternative.
This is why a puppy-raising programme was specially developed to provide the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind (GDA) with dogs that are well prepared for both advanced training and their future work as guide, service and autism support dogs.
The association relies on the goodwill of volunteers to prepare young pups for their role as guide dogs. They are placed with their highly valued puppy-raising families (known as puppy raisers) at about seven weeks of age where they are treated as part of the family for the first 12 months of their busy lives.
According to first-time local puppy raiser, Izel Janse van Rensburg, semen is imported from America with which local female Labrador Retrievers are artificially inseminated.
“Before the pups are placed, they inspect your house and make sure you are fit to look after a future guide dog. When you qualify to look after one, they match your personality with a dog’s personality to ensure that the two of you will be able to adjust,” she said.
“During their stay with us, we are expected to expose them to a homely atmosphere, show them love and take them with us on outings. In shops we are expected to teach them how to behave and how to remain calm.”
That’s why Izel and her family were thrilled when they had the opportunity to raise their first guide dog, Ronnie.
“Even though it’s a very fun experience, it’s still very stressful since you never know if your training will enable him to meet all the requirements set out by the GDA,” she said.
Luckily all their hard work soon paid off when Ronnie was named first in his class during the guide dog graduation that was held in September.
Izel and her family felt so touched by the cause they decided to raise another guide dog, which is expected to arrive in eight weeks.
If you would like to find out more, feel free to contact 011 705 3512 or 0860 100 922.
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